Now I know why I wake up exhausted

"Depression is physically exhausting due to the decreased amount of restorative slow-wave sleep, and mentally exhausting due to the increased firing of the orientation response (which is linked to our motivation and attention capacities) during dreaming."

The connection between dreaming and depression

"New research shows that worries and other emotional arousing thoughts that are not acted out in the daytime are metaphorically acted out in our dreams at night. So, someone who worries a lot will dream a lot too. Sleep laboratory research shows that depressed people dream far more than non depressed people. And dreaming uses far more energy than slow wave sleep and, if you dream excessively you wake up exhausted. The REM sleep state, when most dreaming happens, is also called paradoxical sleep because it uses as much or more energy in the brain than is used when we are awake.
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How to lift depression quickly and safely

Where has that been all my life I'm not saying it's worthless but I'd feel a lot better about it if there wasn't a little ad for "viagra online in Canada" link at the bottom
Hope it helps

your post helped..made me lol

[seeker1950]

Thanks, Chocmouse! I have a very active dreamlife. And, I too, often wake up exhausted!

[shortandcute]

makes sense to me

[SoThisIsLife]

I haven't dreamed more than 5 times in over 10 years... And trust me I'm depressed

[Wyllowtree]

This makes some sense, someone with situational depression may do well on meds short term while someone that has suffered years of abuse may need meds and psychotherapy to change thought processes and self esteem issues.

[liveforfish]

I'll have to read that article later. I'm one who dreams all the time, wakes up exhausted, and suffers from stress and depression.